Loom picker

ABSTRACT

An improved picker for use in conjunction with shuttle type looms wherein a lubricant is disposed within the picker body to lubricate the tip of the shuttle when it is in the shuttle receiving recess of the picker.

United States Patent 11 1 Budzyna June 12, 1973 [54] LO0M PICKER 3,116,763 1/1964 Nill 139 159 2,549,394 4/1951 Shivell et a1. 139/159 [75] Inventor: Budzyna East Dmlglas, 1,989,910 2/1935 BIahS 139/160 R Mass 780,182 1/1905 Holdridge 139/196 R [73] Assignee: North American Rockwell Corporation, Pittsburgh FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 426,521 4/1935 Great Britain 139/160 R [22] Filed: May 31, 1972 [21] APPL 258,409 Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi Attorney-John R. Bronaugh, Daniel H. Dunbar, 52 U.S. c1. 139/159 Floy Levison [51] Int. Cl D03d 49/36 58 Field 61 Search 139/159, 160 R, 160 A, ABSTRACT 139/196 196 160 160 2: An improved picker for use in conjunction with shuttle type looms wherein a lubricant is disposed within the picker body to lubricate the tip of the shuttle when it [56] References cued is in the shuttle receiving recess of the picker.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,020,932 2/1962 Rivera 139/159 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures LOOM PICKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Over the years pickers used on looms of the type wherein a shuttle is propelled back and forth between the opposite sides of the loom have been constructed of a variety of materials. Historically, the first materials used for picker construction were natural substances, such as laminated leather and natural elastomers such as rubber. Broadly speaking, these materials performed their intended function adequately because loom speeds at the time were comparatively low and the operating requirements placed upon the pickers were not excessively demanding. However with the advent of loom development and improvement in various operating parts of the looms, came higher speeds so that increased production per unit time could be realized. Obviously as loom speed increased, the speed of the shuttle itself was increased and the operating conditions imposed upon the loom pickers were also-magnified. Thus came pickers made of fiber reinforced synthetic materials as well as various types of organically derived synthetic substances that were capable of resisting .the greater impact forces and increased wear requirements. Now, with the continuing development of shuttle looms operating at even greater speeds than previously, it has been found that those pickers capable of satisfactory operation at lower speeds are no longer qualified for use.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved picker for use on shuttle type looms which has greater resistance to heat damage and to abrasion.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved picker which contains a suitably located lubricant to lubricate the shuttle tip when it is in contact with the picker.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be in part obvious and in part explained by reference to the accompanying specification and drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a loom picker assembled on the end of a picker stick;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation showing the shuttle receiving surface of the picker; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the long dimension of the picker illustrating the manner in which lubricant is disposed within the picker body.

The picker shown in the drawings is of the kind that is commonly referred to as a loop type" picker. At the outset, it must be realized that the present invention is concerned with a manner for providing a picker with greater heat resistance and also greater resistance to abrasion. That is to say, the invention is not limited to a picker of the loop type, since the invention can as effectively be used in conjunction with other types of pickers. Here a loop type has been shown only by way of illustration.

To more clearly understand the invention, reference is now made to the drawings and specifically to FIG. 1. In this Figure, the numeral indicates the primary picker body which has an upper surface 11, a lower surface 12, an outer end wall 13, and a pair of sidewalls 14. These walls have been indicated as being upper and lower and as being an outer wall 13 only because of the position which they normally occupy with respect to the loom. In addition, the picker body has a surface 15,

which might be called an inner surface because it is facing the loom. The picker has a vertically extending opening 16 which connects the upper and lower surfaces and which, in the type of picker shown here, receives the upper end of the picker stick 17.

The surface 15 has formed in it a first recess 20 which is adapted to receive the end of the shuttle when it completes its travel through the warp shed. The shape of recess 20 is shown as being substantially conical, since this is the form normally required to mate with the end of the shuttle. Obviously, the particular shape of recess found here is not important since slight mOdifications can be made in it to conform to shuttle requirements.

Also formed within the picker body 10 is a second recess which is indicated by the numeral 25. This recess communicates with the interior of first recess 20 and is shown in the drawings as extending completely from the first recess 20 to the exterior upper surface 11 of picker body 10. With respect to this, it would be possible to form the recess 25 in such a way that it did not communicate with the exterior surface but merely formed a chamber associated with the interior of recess 20. Further, it should be pointed out that while second recess 25 is shown as extending to the upper surface 1 1, it could also communicate with one of the other exterior surfaces, other than the back surface 13, and still be used effectively.

In the preferred configuration, the recess 25 should connect with the upper surface 11 since it is filled with a solid lubricating material. This lubricating material which is not shown in the drawings for purposes of clarity is preferably solid, as mentioned above, and has a fairly high meltIng point so that the frictional heat generated by contact between the lubricant and the shuttle tip will cause only a small amount to be melted. As the shuttle makes repeated contact, a small amount of the lubricant is deposited on the shuttle tip and this lubricantreduces both the frictional heat generated by shuttle operation and the abrasion of the picker by the shuttle tip. Solid lubricants such as graphite or polytetrafluoethylene (Teflon-a product of the duPont Company) or other similar lubricating substances can be used effectively in recess 25.

It can be seen from the drawings that the second recess 25 is formed as an inverted frusto cone in which the large crosssectional diameter of the recess is located at the outer surface of the picker body. This configuration is particularly useful since it prevents undesirable excessive consumption of the lubricant during shuttle operations. Of course the slope of the walls forming recess 25 should not be too great, lest the inward movement of the lubricant by gravity be too severely restricted.

Thus the present invention provides an improved picker construction in which a lubricating material is provided that will prolong the life of the picker through reduction in the adverse effects caused by the presence of frictional heat and abrasion.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to'without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

2. A loom picker as defined in claim 1 wherein said second recess connects the interior of said first recess with an exterior surface of said picker body.

3. A loom picker as defined in claim 1 wherein the lubricant is a solid.

4. A loom picker as defined in claim 3 wherein said second recess has a generally frusto-conical shape with the larger cross-sectional diameter being located at the outersurface of said picker body. 

1. A loom picker for use in a shuttle type loom comprising, a picker body having upper and lower surfaces and having a surface with a first recess formed therein which is adapted to receive the tip of the shuttle, a second recess formed in said picker body and communicating with the interior of said first recess, and a lubricant disposed within said second recess so that the shuttle tip will come into contaCt with it and lubrication of the shuttle tip will be effected.
 2. A loom picker as defined in claim 1 wherein said second recess connects the interior of said first recess with an exterior surface of said picker body.
 3. A loom picker as defined in claim 1 wherein the lubricant is a solid.
 4. A loom picker as defined in claim 3 wherein said second recess has a generally frusto-conical shape with the larger cross-sectional diameter being located at the outer surface of said picker body. 